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14 Oct 2026
proposed OPT fee

DHS Proposes $70,000 OPT Fee: What F-1 Students Should Know

Categories Immigration, Study Abroad

The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a proposed OPT fee of $70,000 for a student’s first Optional Practical Training recommendation and $30,000 for each later one. According to a Duane Morris alert, the proposed rule was published on 8 October 2026 under docket ICEB-2026-0100. It is a proposal, not law, and nothing is owed unless DHS issues a final rule. Comments are open for a short window, and students, schools and employers have until early November to be heard.

In this report

What the proposed OPT fee would do

Optional Practical Training lets F-1 students work in the United States in their field of study during or after their degree. Under the proposal, a school would pay $70,000 the first time it recommends a student for OPT, of any type. The charge would apply once per student. Each later recommendation, including a STEM OPT extension, would cost $30,000. DHS also asks for comment on an alternative that would charge $70,000 again at each higher education level, according to Wolfsdorf Rosenthal.

The rule would take effect 60 days after a final rule is published. Students who are already approved for OPT, or whose schools have already recommended them before that date, would be grandfathered, according to Duane Morris. Changing employers on its own would not trigger the $30,000 charge, per the Wolfsdorf summary.

Who would actually pay

The legal obligation sits with the school, not the student. Both law-firm summaries say Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certified schools would have to pay before a designated school official can enter the OPT recommendation in SEVIS, the government’s student database. Wolfsdorf notes that schools could try to recover the cost from students, employers or other sources. The proposal does not say they must, and it does not say they may not.

That gap is the main uncertainty for students. A university facing a $70,000 charge per graduate could pass it on, absorb it, limit OPT recommendations, or ask employers to contribute. None of these outcomes is set. Treat any claim about how a particular school will respond as speculation until that school says so in writing.

STEM OPT and later requests

STEM OPT extensions count as later authorisations, so each would carry the $30,000 charge. Wolfsdorf reports that DHS estimated about 95,000 STEM OPT participants were active in 2024. Consider a hypothetical case. Linh is a Vietnamese computer-science master’s student who expects to graduate in 2027. If the rule were final before her school made her first recommendation, that recommendation would trigger the $70,000 charge, and a later STEM extension would trigger $30,000. If she were recommended before the effective date, she would be grandfathered.

DHS’s own estimates

Duane Morris reports that DHS estimates 2,478 schools would be affected and that annual fees would run between $8.4 billion and $16.5 billion. These figures come from the agency that wrote the proposal, so they describe the department’s modelling rather than an independent audit. Universities and student groups are likely to challenge them in their comments.

What to do before the deadline

Comments must be filed through regulations.gov and must reference docket ICEB-2026-0100. Duane Morris gives the deadline as 11:59 p.m. Eastern on 7 November 2026, and Wolfsdorf’s summary points to the same date. A separate immigration-law update dated 13 October lists 9 November, so confirm the exact date in the published notice before you file. Emailed or mailed comments will not be considered.

Students who may be affected should ask their international office three questions: when will it recommend OPT, whether the school plans to pass on any cost, and what documents it needs. You can also check your wider options with our visa eligibility checker. For related US changes, read our reports on the court pause on the duration-of-status rule and the public charge rule for green card filers.

Questions on the proposed OPT fee

Is the OPT fee in force?

No. It is a proposed rule published on 8 October 2026. It would take effect 60 days after a final rule, and only if DHS adopts one.

Who pays the $70,000?

The proposal puts the payment on SEVP-certified schools, which must pay before an OPT recommendation can be entered in SEVIS. Schools may seek to recover the cost elsewhere.

Would STEM OPT extensions cost more?

Each STEM OPT extension would count as a later recommendation and carry a $30,000 charge under the proposal.

Would current OPT students have to pay?

Students already approved or recommended before the effective date would be grandfathered, according to Duane Morris.

When is the comment deadline?

Duane Morris gives 11:59 p.m. Eastern on 7 November 2026. One other update lists 9 November, so check the notice on regulations.gov.

Where do I file a comment?

On regulations.gov, citing docket ICEB-2026-0100.

Sources

13 Oct 2026
Germany PhD scholarships

Germany PhD Scholarships Closing 31 October and 24 November 2026

Categories Germany, Scholarships, Study Abroad

Two Germany PhD scholarships close within five weeks of each other. The University of Erfurt accepts applications until 23:59 CET on 24 November 2026, according to its official call. A nine-month research stay run by the ABCD-Centre closes on 31 October 2026, according to a report on the programme. Both reward early preparation, and neither suits every applicant.

This guide

Erfurt: three years of funding from April 2027

The University of Erfurt says its scholarships run from 1 April 2027. Funding is €1,400 a month for three years, extendable by one further year. A family allowance of €300 applies for one child and €150 for each additional child. The scholarships support doctoral projects within the Erfurt Doctoral and Postdoctoral Programme, which is run by certified research training groups or the Max-Weber-Kolleg.

The call page does not list selection criteria or application documents. It points to the university’s announcements page and names a doctorate counselling contact. It also does not say whether international applicants are eligible, so ask the counselling office before you invest time.

Erfurt Cathedral and St Severus' Church, in the city offering the Germany PhD scholarships
Erfurt, home of the university’s doctoral scholarship call.

The ABCD research stay: nine months, two places

The ABCD-Centre, which works on water and climate adaptation, plans to support two doctoral students, the report says. Funding is €1,200 a month for accommodation and living costs, up to €105 a month for insurance, a travel grant of up to €1,000 and up to €1,000 for research materials. Hosts are RWTH Aachen University, Technische Universität Dresden or UNU Resource Nexus.

Eligibility is narrower. Applicants must be full-time doctoral students at a university in a developing country and must have started their PhD within the last three years. The research topic must match the centre’s priorities, such as water infrastructure and urban water extremes. The article gives no official ABCD website, only a link to a document on LinkedIn’s media domain. Treat the details as unconfirmed until you find the centre’s own call.

Other German deadlines on the October calendar

A list compiled by Global South Opportunities on 8 October shows more German options. It lists IMPRS-IS PhD positions with a 15 November deadline and a University of Bremen DAAD marine biology master’s scholarship closing on 15 October. It is an aggregator, so verify each date with the provider. For UK alternatives, see our guide to the Gates Cambridge deadlines.

Which Germany PhD scholarships fit you

Consider a hypothetical doctoral student, Hamza, a Pakistani civil engineering researcher in year two of a PhD on urban flooding. If his university qualifies under the programme’s definition, the ABCD stay could suit him, because his topic matches the water priorities. A researcher in the humanities with a proposal tied to a research training group would look at Erfurt instead. Hamza is an illustration, not a real applicant.

How to prepare for Germany PhD scholarships

Start with the ABCD file, because it closes first. It asks for a single PDF with a two- to three-page motivation statement, a sample scientific paper and a CV. It also needs a support letter from your home institution, an enrolment certificate, a transcript dated within six months and a passport copy. Agree the research plan with your supervisor before you apply. For Erfurt, email the counselling office this week and request the full call. Remember that German study also involves health insurance, which the DAAD says international students must hold.

Planning the move itself? Our visa eligibility checker can help you test your options, and our note on the delayed ETIAS launch explains short-stay travel to the Schengen area.

Research priorities and the Erfurt call page

The ABCD report lists five priority areas: water infrastructure and digitalisation, ecosystem resilience, urban water extremes, unconventional water resources, and sustainable materials and buildings. Applicants should also describe how they would contribute to the centre’s outreach work. One caution on Erfurt: its page is dated September 2026 in the news item but shows a last update of 19 August 2026. The page does not explain the gap, so check the full call before you rely on the deadline.

German PhD funding FAQ

What is the Erfurt deadline?

The University of Erfurt states 24 November 2026 at 23:59 CET, with scholarships taking effect from 1 April 2027.

How much does Erfurt pay?

€1,400 a month for three years, extendable by one year, plus €300 for one child and €150 for each additional child.

Who can apply for the ABCD stay?

Per the report, full-time doctoral students at a university in a developing country who started their PhD within the last three years.

When does the ABCD call close?

31 October 2026, according to the report. Confirm it with the centre, because no official ABCD site was linked.

Is the information on this page official?

The Erfurt details come from the university’s own call. The ABCD and aggregator details are secondary, so confirm them with the providers.

Sources

13 Oct 2026
Companies House identity verification

Companies House Identity Verification: 5 Weeks Left Before It Bites

Categories Business, Uk

Companies House identity verification becomes unavoidable for existing UK directors in about five weeks. GOV.UK says the rule became law on 18 November 2025 and started a 12-month transition period. Existing directors must verify by the time they file their next confirmation statement within that window. Sources give the end date as 17 or 18 November 2026, so plan for the earlier one.

Inside this guide

Who must complete Companies House identity verification

Directors and people with significant control (PSCs) must verify, according to the GOV.UK guidance. Law Debenture adds that LLP members are covered too and that nationality and residence do not matter. A foreign owner of a UK company is covered in the same way as a British one.

Many people have not yet acted. The Law Debenture analysis cites Companies House figures from April to June 2026. By the end of June, 55% of directors, 50% of LLP members and 42% of PSCs had told Companies House they were verified. Law Debenture reads that as roughly three in ten directors, and more than half of PSCs, still to complete the step. The firm also says it sees no sign of a significant grace period after the deadline.

Companies House identity verification applies to directors worldwide, including founders in São Paulo
Directors based overseas, such as in São Paulo, must verify too.

The first prosecutions show the risk is real

On 16 September 2026, three people appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court, according to a GOV.UK press release of 17 September. Two acted as directors while unverified, and one was charged for not stopping that. The fines were £166, £307 and £80, plus costs and surcharges. The amounts are small, but the same release says each company also filed its confirmation statement late. The wider consequences are the real cost: Law Debenture lists filing restrictions, penalties and public marking on the register.

Four ways to verify your identity

GOV.UK lists four routes. The first is GOV.UK One Login online, which needs a photo ID such as a biometric passport from any country or a UK driving licence. The second uses UK bank or building society details with a National Insurance number. The third is in person at a Post Office, after you enter your ID details on GOV.UK. The fourth is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), such as an accountant or solicitor, who verifies you on your behalf.

Check your document’s validity first. GOV.UK says an expired passport cannot be used with the One Login app. After verification, you receive a Companies House personal code. Law Debenture says existing directors need it at their next confirmation statement.

If you run a UK company from outside the UK

Take a hypothetical founder, Rafael, who lives in São Paulo and owns a UK limited company through which he sells software. He holds a Brazilian biometric passport, so the One Login app can verify him in minutes. Without one, he could use an ACSP, which Law Debenture says can verify people in more than 120 countries without travel to the UK. Rafael is an illustration, not a real client.

A five-week plan before the window closes

Begin with your own record. List every director and PSC in each company you control. Next, ask each person to verify, and collect their personal codes. Then check your confirmation statement dates, because the filing is where the code is needed. Last, keep proof of each verification. If you are weighing a UK entity, see our company formation service. For Gulf rules on the same theme, read our UAE company law checklist.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your own dates on GOV.UK.

What the rule means for new appointments

The transition period only concerns existing directors. GOV.UK’s press release says newly appointed directors had to verify before acting as a director from 18 November 2025. If you plan to add a director to a UK company, verify that person first. Otherwise the new director risks acting unlawfully on day one. The same release says existing directors verify at the next confirmation statement, so check when yours falls due in the register.

Verification questions answered

Who has to verify?

Directors and people with significant control must verify. Law Debenture adds that LLP members are covered, whatever their nationality or residence.

When is the deadline?

GOV.UK describes a 12-month transition from 18 November 2025. Sources give 17 or 18 November 2026 as the end date, so aim to finish well before.

Is it free?

Law Debenture says verification through GOV.UK One Login is free. An ACSP may charge a fee, so ask first.

Can I verify without a UK passport?

Yes. GOV.UK accepts a biometric passport from any country for One Login, and the ACSP route is another option.

What happens if I do not verify?

Law Debenture lists filing restrictions, penalties and public marking on the register. Acting as an unverified director is an offence, and three people were fined in September 2026.

Sources

13 Oct 2026
Quebec skyline representing the province behind the Quebec PSTQ permanent selection invitations

Quebec Just Invited 519 More Workers for Permanent Residence

Categories Canada, Immigration

Quebec issued 519 invitations across its Programme de selection des travailleurs qualifies (PSTQ) in its ninth selection round of the year, the province’s Ministry of Immigration confirmed. The Quebec PSTQ permanent selection round split invitations across four separate streams, each targeting a different category of skilled worker already living and working in the province.

Stream 2, covering intermediate and manual-skill occupations, took the largest share with 316 invitations, including 254 issued to candidates in TEER 4 or 5 occupations holding a qualifying diploma. Stream 3, for regulated professions, issued 110 invitations, with healthcare, education and social-services occupations accounting for 69 of them. Stream 1, for highly qualified and specialized workers, issued 86 invitations, and Stream 4, reserved for exceptional talent, issued just 7.

How Quebec’s PSTQ permanent selection scoring works

Each stream carries its own eligibility bar and cutoff score. Stream 1 requires at least 12 months of recent Quebec work experience in a TEER 0–2 occupation, with cutoffs in this round ranging from 634 to 706 depending on the specific exercise. Stream 2 requires 24 months of recent experience in a TEER 3–5 occupation, with cutoffs between 611 and 706. Stream 3 targets residents intending to work in a regulated profession, with a much wider cutoff range of 380 to 697 depending on the occupation’s priority status. Stream 4 requires 36 months of experience plus either a positive opinion letter from a government partner organization or an exceptional achievement paired with a doctorate.

Candidate profiles were pulled from Quebec’s Arrima declaration-of-interest pool on September 21 for Streams 1 through 3, and September 24 for Stream 4, with invitations formally issued shortly after.

Skilled tradesperson at work, the kind of candidate targeted by Quebec PSTQ permanent selection

Why invitation volumes are shifting right now

Quebec reopened its Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) on July 2, and the province is scaling back PSTQ invitations while that first PEQ intake window remains open through October 31 — mainly affecting TEER 4–5 occupations and candidates with under two years of experience, the exact profile PEQ is designed to capture instead. From November 2026 onward, Quebec plans to balance invitation volumes between the two programs directly, with a stated goal of issuing roughly equal numbers of Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs) through PSTQ and PEQ by 2029.

That rebalancing explains why this round’s largest stream, Stream 2, is precisely the category PEQ is designed to serve — invitation numbers there are likely to keep shifting as the two programs settle into their new balance over the coming months.

What a Quebec PSTQ permanent selection invitation actually gets you

An invitation is not the same as approval. Invited candidates must still submit a complete application for a Quebec Selection Certificate, and only once that CSQ is issued can they apply to the federal government for permanent residence with the stated intent to settle in Quebec. Candidates already living in Canada who file their PR application afterward may become eligible for a bridging open work permit while the federal decision is pending, provided they maintain their status in the interim.

Quebec’s PSTQ functions as the province’s primary economic immigration pathway, distinct from the federal Express Entry system that governs most other provinces, which is why candidates aiming to settle specifically in Quebec need to track Arrima invitation rounds separately from federal draws.

What happens after this draw

Candidates who received an invitation in this round typically have a set window to submit their complete CSQ application, after which Quebec’s immigration ministry processes applications roughly in the order received, subject to standard document and eligibility checks. Given the PEQ-PSTQ rebalancing already underway, candidates who were not invited this round in TEER 4–5 occupations may find better odds applying through the newly reopened PEQ intake instead, at least until that window closes on October 31.

Watch for Quebec’s November invitation round, which the province has said will reflect the first phase of its planned long-term rebalancing between the two main economic pathways.

What people are asking about this draw

How many people were invited this round?
519 candidates across four PSTQ streams, with Stream 2 (intermediate and manual-skill occupations) taking the largest share at 316 invitations.

What’s the difference between PSTQ and Express Entry?
PSTQ is Quebec’s own economic immigration pathway; Express Entry is the federal system used by other Canadian provinces. Quebec manages its selection separately.

Why are PSTQ invitation numbers changing?
Quebec reopened its Quebec Experience Program on July 2 and is scaling back PSTQ invitations in overlapping categories while that intake window runs through October 31.

What cutoff score did this round require?
Cutoffs varied by stream and exercise, ranging from as low as 380 in parts of Stream 3 to as high as 706 in parts of Streams 1 and 2.

Does an invitation guarantee permanent residence?
No. Invited candidates must still apply for and receive a Quebec Selection Certificate before applying to the federal government for permanent residence.

Can I get a work permit while my application is processed?
Candidates already in Canada may be eligible for a bridging open work permit once they file their federal PR application, provided they maintain their status.

Sources

  • CIC News — Quebec invites 519 workers to apply for permanent selection through PSTQ. cicnews.com
  • Gouvernement du Quebec — Immigration permanente: un nombre important d’invitations transmises pour repondre aux besoins du Quebec. quebec.ca

For related coverage, see our reports on Canada’s September Express Entry round and the work permit freeze affecting six Canadian regions.

13 Oct 2026
Himalayan trekking trail near where Nepal floods foreign trekkers were stranded in Gorkha

A Landslide Blocked a River in Nepal — Now 100+ Trekkers Are Cut Off

Categories World

The Nepal floods foreign trekkers encountered this week trace back to a predawn landslide that blocked the Budhi Gandaki River in Nepal’s Gorkha district on Sunday, triggering flash floods that stranded more than 100 hikers along the popular Manaslu trekking trail, according to Bhuwan Raj Ojha of the Manaslu Conservation Area Project. Part of the trail itself was swept away, cutting off access for hikers moving through different sections of the route roughly 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of Kathmandu.

The only group whose nationality has been specifically identified so far is nine Bangladeshi trekkers waiting in Jagat village for a possible helicopter evacuation, according to fellow trekker Md Shahadat Hossain, who said the group remains safe but has had no electricity since the flooding began.

How Nepal floods foreign trekkers along the Manaslu trail

The floods washed away bridges and hiking trails and damaged or destroyed more than 200 homes in the district. Three hydroelectric plants were also damaged, cutting power and communications to Jagat village and leaving food supplies there running low. Nepal’s disaster authorities have issued flood alerts for Gorkha and four downstream districts — Tanahun, Chitwan, East Nawalparasi and West Nawalparasi — as water levels moved through the river system.

Five villagers remain out of contact as of the latest update, though officials have reported no deaths from this specific flood event, a notably better outcome than the catastrophic glacier-collapse flood that struck a different Nepal river system in August and killed more than 1,450 people with thousands still missing.

Flooded river scene from the Nepal floods foreign trekkers were caught up in near the Budhi Gandaki

Rescue operations underway

Nepal’s army rescued 321 people on Monday, October 13, including 12 foreign nationals, and said the operation would continue into Tuesday even as the river’s water level began to drop. Gorkha district authorities have asked villagers living along the riverbank downstream to evacuate as a precaution while the situation stabilizes.

Ojha, from the Manaslu Conservation Area Project, said trekkers who want to leave the area “need to be rescued,” while those willing to continue their trek “can do so from locations that are safe,” adding that tea houses along the route have not been affected and remain safe for travelers to shelter in. Hossain, the Bangladeshi trekker, echoed that assessment for his own group: “We are safe, but there has been no electricity since yesterday.”

Why this flood draws extra scrutiny

Nepal is still recovering from August’s catastrophic flood, caused by a glacier collapsing into a different river valley near the Nepal-Tibet border, which killed more than 1,450 people and left thousands missing across both the Nepali and Tibetan sides of the border. That disaster has made Nepali authorities and the international trekking community considerably more alert to flood risk in mountain river valleys generally, which likely explains the relatively fast army response — 321 people rescued within roughly 24 hours of this smaller, separate incident.

The Manaslu trail is one of Nepal’s most popular restricted-area trekking routes, drawing thousands of foreign visitors annually who pay for a special permit to trek around the eighth-highest mountain in the world. A prolonged closure would have knock-on effects for trekking operators and guides who depend on the October-November season, one of the two main trekking windows in the Nepali Himalaya.

What rescue teams are doing next

The Nepali army says rescue operations will continue beyond Monday as water levels permit safer access to stranded groups in harder-to-reach sections of the trail. Travelers currently on or planning to join the Manaslu circuit should check conditions directly with Nepal’s Department of Tourism or their trekking agency before departure, since trail damage in a landslide-prone valley can take weeks to fully repair even after floodwaters recede.

Downstream communities in Tanahun, Chitwan and the two Nawalparasi districts remain under flood alert, meaning the practical risk from this event is not yet fully resolved even though the immediate trekker rescue appears largely complete.

Nepal’s tourism board has not yet issued guidance on whether permit holders due to start the Manaslu circuit in the coming days should delay their trips, leaving that call in the hands of individual trekking agencies for now. Operators with experience in the region say a short delay of several days is the more common outcome after this kind of landslide-triggered flood, rather than a season-long closure, since the damage is concentrated on specific bridge crossings rather than the trail’s higher, more remote sections.

Questions about the Gorkha floods

How many trekkers were stranded?
More than 100 foreign trekkers were stranded across different points on the Manaslu trail, according to local conservation area officials.

What caused the flooding?
A predawn landslide on October 12 blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, triggering flash floods downstream.

Were there any deaths?
No deaths have been reported from this specific flood event as of the latest update.

How many people have been rescued?
Nepal’s army rescued 321 people on October 13, including 12 foreign nationals, with operations continuing.

Is this related to August’s deadly Nepal flood?
No, it is a separate incident in a different river valley, though it follows the catastrophic August glacier-collapse flood that killed more than 1,450 people elsewhere in Nepal.

Are the Manaslu trail’s tea houses safe?
Yes, according to a local conservation official, tea houses along the route have not been affected and remain safe for trekkers to use.

Sources

  • Al Jazeera — More than 100 foreign trekkers stranded by floods in Nepal’s Gorkha region. aljazeera.com
  • The Japan Times — More than 100 foreign trekkers stranded in flood-hit region of Nepal, official says. japantimes.co.jp

For related coverage, see our reports on Nepal’s August flood death toll and the earlier Himalayan flash floods disaster.

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